Resonating guitar



June 14, 1932. w, L, LANGE RESONATING GUITAR Filed Sept. 19, 1930 INVENTOR lllllzaml Lavag BY \Mk ATTORNEY Patented June 14, 1932 1' UNITED STATE-s asteur emce WILLIAM. L. LANGE, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

RESONATING GUITAR I Application filed September 18, 1930. Serial No. 482,823.

My invention relates generally to musical instruments, to stringed musical instruments and especially to guitars.

The-object of the invention being to pro I ride air-improved guitar structure presenting greatly increasedtone power and beauty or quality, and permitting free unconstrained {vibration while allowing the greatestbreathing effect in anatural-dispersion of air and Ni forward dispersion 'ofsound.

Important features reside in the provision, in a guitar'or thelike, usually consisting" of a unitary wood or metal structure, of an integrally built resonator (built in struc ture) extending about the vibrant portions and omitting the usual sound outlet at the center of the vibrant one piece sounding board, and substituting sound outlets in the form of. a plurality of preferably circular openings loc'ated'in the resonator portion, forming apart of the supporting side Walls with the plane of the resonator below the plane of the vibrant portion'of the instrument.

The-sound outlets may be in the side wall or front face of the resonator, preferably in the front face, and said resonator may extend beyond and surround the entire vibrant portion of the instrument and be of the same general contour, or it may surroundonly part ofthe vibrant portion at itspoint of greatest resonance. f

It may also have-a non-contour conforming shape, but it isalways so constructed that the. back of the instrument forms the back and main support of the unit resonator.

The usual bass bar is employed under the sound board of the guitar as'usual, but for the new purpose. p

In thedrawingl haveillustrated various embodiments of invention, the changes being only on the contours of the resonators and it will, of course, be understood that other changes in contour and in construction, 45 may be made in the commercial article within the scope of the invention claimed.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the improved guitar.

Fig. 2 is a top view similar to Fig. 1, but

showing a modified form, in which the resonator surrounds only a portion of tlieinstrument, the portion ofgreatest resonance.

F 3 is a top View, similar to Figs. 1 and 2, but shoring a further modified form of resruiator which entirely surrounds the vibrant portion of the instrument, like the rex-aonator of F 1, but its contour does not conform to that of the said, vibrant portion.

Fig. 4 is a cross section of the instrument 1 taken about on the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentaryelevation showing a slightly modifiedform, in which the sound outlets are in the side of the resonator. f I I I In describing the construction of the improved guitar in detail I shall employ similar reference characters to designate corresponding parts throughout. the several views, and in this description the terms em- 7 ployed will be understood as terms of description only, and not of limitation.

The vibrant portion of the guitar is designated generally at 10, the strings at 11, the tail piece at 12, the bridge at 13, the stem at 143 and the'resonator at 15.

An important feature of the guitar construction as above stated, resides in the built in resonator below the guitar proper or the vibrant portion of the guitar, and this is accomplished by employing a face board 16, having a step joint glued'connection as at 17. with the side wall 18 of the vibrant portion 10, which includes a single piece, outwardly curved sound board 19, devoid of sound outlets; and secured at its edge to said wall 18. Secured to the underface of this sound board is the usual bass bar 20.

The face board 16 is preferably provided 90 with. a series of sound outlets 21, extending entirely around the vibrant structure 10, and said face board is secured at its edge by a glued step joint 22, to the side wall 23, of the resonator 15, and to this sidewall there is secured preferably by a glued step-joint 24;. an outward curved resonator board 25, which forms the. back ofthe instrument and the back of the resonator.

Referring to Fig. 4,,50 designates the vibrant chamber and 60 designate the resonator chamber.

The joints between the pieces as above stated are preferably glued but other means may be employed for securing the pieces if desired.

The terms of the description signify the construction as of wood, but metal or other suitable material may be employed if desired.

In Fig. 5 of the drawing, sound openings 26, are shown in one side wall of the resonator and additional like openings may be formed in the other side wall and in the face board 16 of the resonator if desired, and also in the back thereof.

What I claim is:

1. In a guitar, in combination, a body having a vibrant portion, and a resonator of material built into said vibrant portion and extending beyond said body, said resonator having sound openings therein.

2. In a guitar comprising a body having a vibrant portion, a structure built into said vibrant portion extending beyond the latter to forma resonator, said resonator having a face board and being provided with sound openings.

3. In a guitar construction comprising a vibrant portion having a side wall; a resonator portion forming a part of the supporting structure of said side wall, said resonator being below said first portion and extending therebeyond.

4. In a guitar having the usual vibrant portion comprising a side wall, a resonator having a face board built into the base edge of said side wall, said board providing an extension marginal to said side wall and being provided with sound openings.

5. In a guitar having the usual vibrant portion including a side wall, a resonator built into said wall and extending marginally therebeyond, the extended portion of said resonator being provided with sound outlets.

6. In a guitar, a vibrant portion, comprising a single piece sound board with an uninterrupted face devoid of sound outlets, and side walls, a resonator built into the said side walls and extended outwardly therefrom entirely around the vibrant portion and conforming to the contour thereof, the extended portion of the resonator being provided with sound openings and said resonator having a resonator board forming the back of the resonator and the back of the guitar.

7 In a guitar having a vibrant portion, a structure built into said vibrant portion and extending therebeyond to form a resonator, said resonator portion being provided with sound openings and including a side wall, and a resonator board mounted onsaid wall and forming the back of the guitar.

8. In a guitar construction comprising a top vibrant portion having a side wall; 3.

resonator portion forming a part of the supporting structure of said first portion and including an extended side wall, a base board mounted on and disposed below said latter wall, and a face board forming another portion of said resonator and disposed between and carried by said walls, said latter board being provided with a series of sound outlets.

9. In a guitar having the usual vibrant portion, a resonator built into the walls of the vibrant portion and extended marginally beyond said walls entirely around the structure, the extended portion of said resonator being provided with sound outlets said resonator also having a resonator board forming the back of the guitar.

10. A directionally sounding string musical instrument comprising in combination with a body having a vibrant portion, and a base, a resonator having a body portion extending beyond said first portion and partly carried by said base, there being between the latter and said second portion a wall, said second portion having a sound opening therein, and means including said base for directing sound through said opening.

11. The combination with a string musical instrument having a vibrant body portion including a side wall, and an extended base, of a directionally sounding resonator having a wall portion supported on said base and partly carried by first portion, there being a face board of the resonator between said walls, said resonator having a sound opening in its faceboard and being disposed beyond said first portion, and means comprising said base for deflecting sound through said opening in one direction.

12. A directionally sounding string musical instrument comprising in combination with a top vibrant body portion having a side wall and including a sound board having a base bar thereon and carried by said wall;

a resonator including also a side wall, a face board mounted on said walls and disposed in practically parallel relation with said sound board, said second wall being disposed beyond said first wall, and a base board carried by said second side wall for directing sound through said face board, which latter is provided with apertures.

Signed at New York, in the countyof New York and State of New York, this 17th day of September, A. D. 1930.

' WILLIAM L. LANGE. 

